Archive for: February 2008

If you’re a Democratic primary voter that doesn’t want Vivian Davis Figures to be the Democratic nominee against incumbent Republican Jeff Sessions, there is an alternative.

Johnny Swanson is apparently making another run in the actual Democratic Party. Ran across this on my way to school and had to stop and take a picture.

Yesterday, a bill was improperly gaveled out of the House Education Policy Committee by Acting Chairman Rep. Terry Spicer, in clear violation of the House Rules. The instrument before the committee was a bill to ensure the post-secondary education system, which employs Rep. Spicer, would be placed under the oversight of the Legislative Council, (Rep. Spicer is also a member of the Legislative Council).

During the meeting, Rep. Joseph Mitchell made a motion to commit the bill to a subcommittee. As Ranking Minority Member on the Committee, I was sitting beside Rep. Spicer and calmly asked him for a recorded vote on Rep. Mitchell’s motion. He calmly ignored my request and gaveled through the vote to deny’s Rep. Mitchell’s motion.

For the remainder of the meeting the Chairman did not recognize me for anything. As the bill was rushed to final passage, I arose from my seat and stood directly in front of him, waving my arms, asking for a recorded vote, as several other members joined me in the request for a recorded vote. Rep. Spicer gaveled the bill through. Needless to say, I was outraged.

Rule 75 clearly states: “The chair of a standing committee shall take a recorded vote on any motion if requested by a committee member and sustained by one additional committee member.”

I understand that I am a member of the minority party and as such, will often be out-voted in committees and on the floor. In this instance, I believe I had the votes to block this bill and Rep. Spicer’s actions would lead me to believe that he also thought I had the votes.

It would be an understatement to say that I am frustrated by the shameless abuse of power by the Chairman of the Committee, in clear violation of the House Rules. I don’t know whether the Chairman was motivated by ignorance of the rules, arrogance, greed, revenge, or some other factor. I’m just trying to figure out why I should even attend committee meetings if I my vote only counts if the Chairman wants it to.

I suspect we’ll be hearing a lot more about this issue.

Taken by John Little
Beard Eaves Memorial Coliseum
Auburn, AL

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The home of the Auburn men’s and women’s basketball and gymnastics team.

HB20, the bill to require state, county, and municipal elected officials and candidates to disclose details of employment and contracts seems to be making steady progress in the House. Last week, it came through the House Government Operations Committee unscathed. Rep. Lee Fite put an amendment on the bill to include children of elected officials and candidates to the bill. I don’t mind the amendment, as long as it doesn’t lessen its chances for the bill to pass.

During the committee meeting, Rep. Merika Coleman had an excellent idea to include disclosure of employment or contracts with a business that has over 50% of its reciepts from state, county, or city contracts. I am working with her to draft an amendment she can offer on the floor that would incorporate this into the legislation. I am hopeful that it will show up the Special Order Calendar next week and pass out of the House.

Sen. Orr made an attempt to move the companion bill, SB210 in the Senate, today. Although I believe the bill got a fair hearing, there were some questions that needed to be cleared up with members of the committee. Because there was a large number of bills on the committee calendar, the bill was carried over, with assurances from the Chairman Sen. Wendell Mitchell that the bill would be brought up again. Before the bill was carried over, Sen. Penn added an amendment similar to Rep. Fite’s House amendment to require elected officials and candidates to include similar employment and contracts of their children in the bill.

I know I’m probably being overly optimistic, but I think there’s a slim chance this bill could pass this year or next year or the next year or someday, if I survive long enough.

If you live in the Tuscaloosa area (*cough cough* Mac), please come by Downtown Trading Company this Friday at 5:30pm for a FTH tasting party — A Night with Sam. I’ll be there serving and boring people to death about Free the Hops. The last two tastings we’ve had there have had exceptional turnout and exceptional good times.

A bill sponsored by Quinton Ross and Greg Wren in the Alabama legislature would make getting caught with a stolen firearm a Class C felony. One sherrif’s justification:

Montgomery County Sheriff D.T. Marshall said a by-product of the new bill would make people become felons a lot faster, and convicted felons can’t even own ammunition, let alone a gun.

I’m not sure how I feel about this. When is the state legislature going reduce the penalty of a crime? It’s not even clear if they can get together to say sex toys shouldn’t be criminal.

It just seems that every year, there are more and more things that are criminal and then the existing crimes are bumped up to higher-class felonies. We’re told this bill will save people’s lives because it’ll make more people felons, and felons can be controlled by the state to a much greater degree than other people. More rules, more punishment and more control. I really think I’d prefer to just tough it out a little bit more.

I’m really not a conspiracy theorist, but I have to admit that a sudden equipment failure at a CBS affiliate that happens at Huntsville, Alabama at the exact same time as 60 Minutes was suppose to air it’s piece on possible incarceration of a former Alabama governor is a bit of coincidence. If you add to it the fact that the affiliate is a major campaign contributor and supporter of George W. Bush and “major Republican donors,” then it starts to look fishy.

WHNT is the CBS affiliate for most of the Tennessee Valley. They did manage to air the last couple minutes of the feature. I doubt there’s a scandal here, but it would be helpful to know their rate of blackouts.

He’s so crooked he can’t even stop bribing in prison! He gave mackerel to his fellow inmates so he could watch the 60 Minutes episode about himself. The 70 inmates sharing the television initially voted to watch another program, but a second vote mysteriously went his way after the canned fish entered into the equation. Siegelman claims the fish was not meant to buy any votes and was only meant as a show of goodwill.

Don Siegelman, using bribery to usurp democracy once again.

I haven’t been reading many blogs recently at all, and I just now read through some of the posts at the Legislative Dispatch at Doc’s Political Parlor. Senators Rusty Glover (R) and Parker Griffith (D) join Representatives Chris England (D) and Cam Ward (R) to blog about political life. I’ve only met the two reps, but I can confidently say that Mr. England and Mr. Ward will be great additions to the Bama blogosphere. I particularly enjoyed Chris England’s most recent post, but maybe that’s because he’s from my neck of the woods.

Of course, Rep. Mike Ball (R) is one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met and contributes here at Daily Dixie. He also garners more average comments per post than anyone here except guest contributor Alabama Moderate. (I think it’s time for another post, Mike).

I guess I should finish up the list as I know it. Patricia Todd (D) contributes at Birmingham Blues and Greg Canfield (R) breaks the mold by blogging on his own website. I should probably start a “Blogging legislators” list on my linkbar.

Dare I point out that of these 7 legislators who’ve taken the initiative to be more open and accessible to their constituents, all but 1 is expected to vote for the Gourmet Beer Bill this year? And Rusty Glover isn’t a known “no” vote. I just haven’t heard about him yet.

Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh, former chair of the Alabama Republican Party, announced her candidacy for the Republican nomination for the president of the Public Service Commission today. So far former Lieutenant Governor Lucy Baxley has announced for the Democrats.

Former Commissioner George Wallace, Jr. has also indicated an interest in running. Personally, I’d take him over Cavanaugh any day.

• H/T Doc’s Political Parlor 

Just got the press release. Here it is in its entirity so I’m not accussed of letting something slip.

The Alabama Democratic Party today called on the US Justice Dept. and the US House Judiciary Committee to appoint a special prosecutor into the allegations of the political prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman after the facts and interviews were released by CBS Television Network in their 60 Minutes program this past Sunday night.

Executive Director, Jim Spearman says there is too much smoke and too many facts for DOJ and Congress to ignore. “Abuse of the federal prosecutorial system for partisan political gain must be taken very seriously. The accusations by the 52 former state attorneys general, including the former republican AG from Arizona Grant Woods should be taken into account by the US Attorney General”, Spearman says. Congress should not delay in taking the next step to call witnesses and to hold those not answering supeanoes in contempt of Congress.

For the Alabama Republican Party to issue its statement yesterday prior to the airing of the 60 Minutes segment trying to discredit CBS even before the program airs shows that indeed republicans may have something to hide. “How can the ALGOP really try to discredit a former republican AG who is now a co-chair of their US Presidential Nominee’s Arizona campaign effort,”Spearman notes.

Also today, Alabama Democratic Chairman Joe Turnham says he will send a letter to the Federal Communications Commission asking for a formal inquiry into the CBS Huntsville affiliate black out of the the Siegelman airing. It has come to the attention of many Democrats in North Alabama that the principal owners of WHNT are Bush Pioneers and major republican donors. Many suspect that enormous pressure was put on CBS to not air the Siegelman story. If CBS received political pressure to stifle the first amendment rights of the network or affiliate, the FCC and Congress should take appropriate oversight into the matter.

Taken by Dave McLallen
The Bottle Tree Cafe
Birmingham, AL

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Always a good time, the Bottle Tree recently hosted a film night in support of Free the Hops where they played American Beer. The premis of the film:

In June of 2002, five friends left New York City by minivan and traveled across the United States in search of good beer, visiting 38 breweries in 40 days.

Sounds like a great way to make a buck.

Long time no see, good people. I just have one quick thing to share with you this morning. A bill sponsored by Sen. Vivian Figures (D-Mobile) is in the works that would ban smoking statewide in pretty much every public place imaginable. She’s introduced this several times in the past, but this go-round she has the backing of 20 of the Senate’s 35 members.

I’m going to hold my tongue so that my seething rage doesn’t cause me to say something I might regret. I’ll simply share with you the response by Sen. Steve French (R-Mountain Brook) which I echo wholeheartedly (albeit with much more graphic language):

“I think that’s more appropriate to let the market forces affect things than to have government regulation that says people can or cannot do certain things in certain places,” he said.

“It infringes upon the personal rights of business owners and people who are out making a living,” French said. “If their clientele wants them to continue the policies they have, they ought to have that ability.”

A great column in the Montgomery Independent from Bob Gambacurta about Senator Phil Poole. If you’re one of my gossipy readers who doesn’t know much about the whole Poole saga, it gives a great and brief overview of the man.

Still haven’t heard much feedback about the Defeat Phil Poole PAC. I’m not going to start it unless there’s interest.

• H/T Doc’s Political Parlor

Feel free to use the comment section to let us know what you thought of the 60 Minutes show on Don Siegelman, Jill Simpson, and Karl Rove.

For what it’s worth, I ranked the Don Siegelman and Richard Scrushy sentencing as the number 1 political event in Alabama in 2007. In that post, I said my rankings were based on what I thought would be most remembered in a decade. I now have little doubt that will be the case.

If you are part of the group that made ALISON viewable on the Firefox browser, thanks!

The 60 Minutes show, “The Prosecution of Don Siegelman” is confirmed to be on this Sunday.

Don Siegelman was a successful Democratic politician in the heavily Republican state of Alabama when he was convicted of bribery in a case that has drawn criticism from Democrats and Republicans. Scott Pelley reports. Joel Bach and David Gelber are the producers.

Hmmm…. define “heavily Republican state of Alabama.” If you mean a state that consistently votes for the Republican Presidential nominee, and has a 78% Republican Congressional delegation, then sure. But if you mean a state that has a 61% Democratic majority in the state legislature as well as Democratic majorities in nearly all county governments, then no way.

In related news, Jill Simpson is making new allegations about Karl Rove’s involvement in Siegelman’s prosecution. Now she says Rove asked her to find evidence that Siegelman was cheating on his wife. The new revelation is supposed to appear on the 60 Minutes show.

When asked what the Reverend Dan Ireland said in opposition to the Gourmet Beer Bill in committee yesterday, a certain Free the Hops member summed it up pretty well I think:

blah blah kids blah blah teenagers blah blah BLOOD RUNNING IN THE STREETS blah blah

The “moral authority” of the legislature is resigning after this session, I hear. He is the current Executive Director of ALCAP, a religious lobbying group. Although I probably disagree with half of everything that has ever come out of his mouth, I think it’s good to have someone like him in the halls. Overall, he probably represents the views of more Alabamians than I do. Hopefully his replacement will do a good job.